Chapter 154: Sneaky

Cheng Jingmo reacted quickly, grabbing the ticket just as it was about to leave the woman’s hand.

He unfolded the ticket, took a look, and handed it to the conductor.

The conductor examined the ticket, then looked sternly at the woman.

“You are in Car No. 3, Seat 45. It’s impossible to confuse that with Seat 36 in Car No. 10.”

The conductor had seen many cases of people buying hard seats and then trying to sit in sleeping berths. Usually, people would sheepishly return to their own seats when caught, but this was the first time he encountered someone so shameless.

Caught and still arguing, the woman defensively continued, “I’m illiterate. I asked others, and they told me this was the seat, so I took it!”

The conductor said, “Please return to your assigned seat immediately, or I’ll have the police handle it!”

The woman, fuming, stood up from the bed and angrily gathered the items scattered by the child.

Before leaving, she shot Cheng Jingmo a fierce glare.

Cheng Jingmo tidied the disheveled bed and sat at the edge, starting to read a book.

The train’s announcement came on, notifying passengers that it was time for lunch.

Cheng Jingmo closed his book and went to find Yu Xiangnian and Xiao Jie.

Yu Xiangnian had just woken up, half-leaning against the bed, looking lazy, while Xiao Jie was excitedly looking out the window.

“Shall we go eat now?” Cheng Jingmo asked.

Yu Xiangnian, having just napped, wasn’t hungry at all. “You and Xiao Jie go eat. I’m not hungry at all.”

Cheng Jingmo said, “If you don’t want to eat, Xiao Jie and I will just have some pancakes.”

When traveling, Cheng Jingmo worried about making sure Yu Xiangnian wasn’t inconvenienced. He and Xiao Jie could be casual about food and accommodation.

Cheng Jingmo broke open a pancake, spread some soy sauce on it, and handed it to Xiao Jie.

The sauce was made by Liu Zhen. Hearing that they were heading back to their hometown, she had specially prepared a bottle for them to use on the train.

He then took out two more pancakes and politely asked the elderly couple across from them if they wanted some.

The old man, straightforward in manner, took the pancake and said, “Pancake dipped in soy sauce is a good thing. If you add a green onion, it would be even better.”

From his taste, it was clear he was from the north.

Cheng Jingmo handed over the soy sauce as well. Yu Xiangnian asked, “Are you two from the north?”

The old man, spreading the sauce, said, “Our hometown is Shandong. We’ve been away for over twenty years.”

He then handed the sauce-covered pancake to his wife, “Try it, it’s been a long time since I had this.”

The old woman had already laid out her own food on the table and invited Cheng Jingmo and Yu Xiangnian to join them.

Yu Xiangnian, watching the four of them enjoying the soy sauce-dipped pancakes, wondered if it was really that good.

“Let me try a bite,” Yu Xiangnian said to Cheng Jingmo.

Cheng Jingmo handed the part of the pancake he hadn’t eaten yet to her. Yu Xiangnian took a bite.

It was hard and dry, not very tasty.

After they finished eating and cleaned up the table, Yu Xiangnian pulled out the book she had brought and began working.

The old woman, seeing Yu Xiangnian working, was surprised. “You can translate?”

Yu Xiangnian replied, “I manage.”

The old woman, somewhat excited, urged her husband to quickly take out the materials from the box.

“Comrade, could you help us translate this?”

The material was not extensive—just five pages.

Yu Xiangnian read through it. It was about soil research.

Suddenly, Yu Xiangnian recalled a biography she had read in school about a famous pair of soil scientists in modern China, Liu Chunwei and Xie Ling.

She asked, “May I ask your names?”

The old man replied, “My surname is Liu, no need to be formal. I am Liu Chunwei, and this is my wife Xie Ling.”

Yu Xiangnian was overjoyed and excited, “You are the renowned soil scientists of our country?!”

Xie Ling waved her hand modestly, “We’re just engaged in soil research, not really experts.”

Yu Xiangnian remembered from the biography that this couple had traveled around the country for years, conducting soil research and making indelible contributions to the development of agriculture in China.

It was unexpected that she had the chance to help them translate foreign materials and, in a way, contribute to agricultural development.

Cheng Jingmo hadn’t heard of them before, but seeing Yu Xiangnian’s excitement, he realized the old couple must be quite impressive.

Watching Yu Xiangnian translate for the old couple, Cheng Jingmo’s eyes were filled with tenderness and affection.

The old couple took notes as they listened, clearly very serious about the translation.

Cheng Jingmo and Xiao Jie took out their books, studying basic knowledge, trying to emulate Yu Xiangnian and become well-versed individuals.

After the translation was completed, the old couple was extremely grateful and insisted on inviting Yu Xiangnian and them to dinner.

In this era, people traveling by train typically brought their own food, and train meals were rarely eaten.

The five of them went to the dining car. There weren’t many people inside, so four tables were set up, each with three to four people.

The train meal didn’t offer much choice, with only four dishes on the menu: braised pork, stir-fried celery with meat, stir-fried cauliflower, and shredded vegetable salad, plus a cabbage soup.

The dishes turned out to be quite tasty, much better than the fast-food box meals of the modern day.

The day passed like this.

At night, after the old couple and Xiao Jie had gone to bed, Yu Xiangnian had a quick wash and was ready to sleep.

Cheng Jingmo lingered, unwilling to leave.

Yu Xiangnian gave him a questioning look: What’s up?

Cheng Jingmo gazed at her with longing.

Yu Xiangnian beckoned him closer with a finger. Cheng Jingmo moved in a bit.

Yu Xiangnian leaned in, gently brushed her lips against Cheng Jingmo’s, and mouthed the words: Goodnight.

Cheng Jingmo still looked expectant, like a big dog waiting for its master’s affection.

Yu Xiangnian smiled, trying to stifle her laughter.

A moment later, she sat across Cheng Jingmo’s lap, cupped his face in her hands, and lightly nibbled his lips.

Usually, they would close the door and indulge in their affections freely.

But tonight, they were both tense, their tongues entwining without making a sound.

Even when they stopped to catch their breath, they did so quietly.

The secretive feeling was both thrilling and enjoyable for Yu Xiangnian.

Eventually, Cheng Jingmo called a halt at the edge of losing control.

Even on the train, Yu Xiangnian was still a late sleeper in the morning, and Xiao Jie slept in as well.

The old couple were very well-mannered, usually reading their own books in silence.

Even when they did converse, they spoke very softly.

After Cheng Jingmo got up, he glanced over, saw that they were still asleep, and went back.

By the time Yu Xiangnian woke up, it was almost lunchtime.

She overheard Liu Chunwei saying to Xie Ling, “Have you gone a bit crazy? How did you end up bringing this book?”

Yu Xiangnian looked at the book in Liu Chunwei’s hand—it was titled Principles and Fundamentals of Radio Communication.

Xie Ling took the book, looked at it with self-reproach, and said, “I’m so scatterbrained. How did I bring Old Zhang’s book by mistake?”

In this era, such specialized books were hard to come by outside of professional circles.

Yu Xiangnian’s eyes lit up as she looked at the book. “May I ask if you’re willing to sell this book to me?”